Business Plan Help

50 Bootstrap Marketing ideas for start-ups

When you're writing your business plan you need to include how you're going to market and sell what you produce. Most start-up businesses have a small marketing budget so 'bootstrap marketing' is often the only way to generate new business.

'Bootstrap marketing' basically means marketing your business on a tiny budget. It's about using creativity rather than cash to shout about what you're doing. This brilliant guide gives you 50 bootstrap marketing ideas to help you promote your new business for free.

How to Write an Effective Marketing Plan

A marketing plan is a core component of a business plan. It relates specifically to the marketing of a particular product or service and it describes the following compents; Click here to read this article in full.

Article written by Alan Gleeson, MD of Palo Alto Software Ltd, creators of Business Plan Pro 2007

A Shortcut to a Professional Marketing Plan

If you need to write a marketing plan in double-quick time, try Marketing Plan Pro. It’s ideal for busy start-ups and small business owners who need to write a marketing plan but don't have the time to prepare a full plan from scratch. The package includes 70+ sample marketing plans that you can scan for ideas and inspiration and even use for your own plan. Possibly the best thing about Marketing Plan Pro is that you can try it for yourself with their no-risk '60-day full money back guarantee'.

Answers to Common Marketing Plan Questions

When you first set out to write your marketing plan, you usually have far more questions than answers. So if you’re looking for answers to common marketing plan questions check out the Planning your marketing section of the Business Hotline website. Their Fastfaqs answer marketing plan questions such as: ‘Where do I start?’ ‘What will my marketing strategy do for me?’ and ‘Why do I need to write a marketing plan and what must I cover?’ You’ll need to register to use the site.

Research and Write a Marketing Plan

The Business Europe website has a useful article – Write a Marketing Plan - that gives you the basics on what you need to do when preparing a marketing plan. The piece will help you to research and identify your market, choose your marketing mix and position yourself against your competitors. A handy checklist helps you to get your marketing plan started.

Online Guide to Help You Write a Marketing Plan

The Business Link website provides a useful online guide - Write a Marketing Plan. The guide walks you through all aspects of researching and developing an effective marketing plan - helping you to decide on your objectives and to plan a marketing strategy that fulfils your aims. The Business Link site carries other useful articles on marketing techniques, advertising, PR, direct mail etc that may also be helpful when you're writing a marketing plan.

Write a Marketing Plan with the CIM’s Marketing Planning Tool

The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) website gives you free access to their marketing planning tool. The online tool aims to make writing a marketing plan as easy as possible whatever your level of marketing knowledge. The tool includes a handy sample marketing plan for a hypothetical business - BusinessBooks.

Clearly Business: 5-Step Marketing Plan

The Clearly Business website has a handy 5-Step Marketing Plan guide for new business start-ups. The guide takes you through each of their 5-steps with detailed help, tips and links to other articles that will help you consider the markets you want to be in, your USP, your competition and how you’ll promote your business. There’s even a sample copy of the Clearly Business 5-Step Marketing Plan based on Joe’s Pizzeria, that you can download for free.

Marketing Planning Tips from Business Balls

Business Balls, despite the .com suffix and American look and feel is a UK site. The site is billed as a free online development resource for people and organisations and you’ll find a wide range of articles on sales, marketing and business strategies.

A Winning Marketing Plan

Sales & Marketing Strategies’ website gives you useful pointers on the sales and marketing aspects of your business plan. If you’re looking for advice on competitive analysis, market research or customer surveys you’ll find it here. The site offers guidance on developing A Winning Marketing Plan that increases market share, assists customer retention and builds profitable repeat sales – and results in sustained long-term profitability improvements.